Reckoning: Chapter 44
by Michelle.Lee.PDX
Summary: The letters from Graves have finally arrived to explain where in the world he's been for 18 months. Will his reason be good enough for Dru? Major action scene in this chapter with a surprise at the end.


I was nervous, excited and a little nauseas. I ripped open the letter with clumsy hands. I read the first one slowly, soaking in every word on the pages. When I was done, I took a huge exhale, then I tore through the remaining twelve notes. I listened with an open mind as I read them aloud.

_Dear Dru,_

_I need you to understand why I had to leave you. It's my time to be a man... no bosses, no fucking _djamphire_ to deal with. No one to tell me how to be or what to do. I have to learn to make my own choices and grow up. We're not in Kansas anymore, right?_

_When I was a boy, I used to hide in the closet, afraid of the monsters that were out there. There was no safe place to be. Mom would go on a binger and leave me alone for days, sometimes weeks. The fosters were almost worse. If I tried to run there was the system to put me back in the cage. Eventually I just got used to depending on myself. I guess we both know what that feels like, Dru._

_I got used to the yelling and fighting, and the beating. Mom always made excuses - like she deserved it or it wasn't his fault. One time, there was a big fight and he pushed her into the fridge, blood and bruises. I finally had enough, so I decked him and gave him a god-damn bloody nose. Asshole deserved it, and honestly, it felt good. But all Mom said was "Leave". So I did and never looked back._

_I can feel changes taking place in me and there are times, I'm at peace. When I think it'll be okay and I fall asleep, I see the sucker's empty black eyes looking through my insides and twisting them up. I wake up and wish you were here. I'm damaged goods right now, Dru. I don't know if I'll ever be free of it all._

_Everyday I run with the wulves until I can't run no more. It's the only time I'm totally free, you know? It's so gorgeous up here in B.C. Wish you could see it too._

_I'm being trained for something big. Don't know what yet, but the _wulfen_ elders say I have a destiny. Might be the most important thing I'll do, I guess. They're sending me and a few others to Asia for a year to train with the Masters. I'm gonna learn to control it and to find my voice. Find my place and the courage to be what I was made for, thanks to you. It's been too long, Beautiful._

_I'm sending all of my letters to you at once because I was afraid, until now. I didn't know what you'd think of me, whether you'd change how you felt, or if I'd change. I will return to you, Dru. I made you a promise I plan to keep._

_Yours,_

_Graves_

I looked up from the last page of the letters to meet Nat's eyes. Her face was soft and filled with emotion. She ran for the box of tissues. "Shit, now you've made my mascara run, girl. Hate you."

I laughed and cried at the same time. We both did. I was ecstatic, however still apprehensive about what it all meant. _Did he or did he not change the way he felt about me? Have I?_

"Look at this, Nat. The letter where Graves said he was going to train in Asia for a year is dated February 20th. It's January 13th now." We looked at each other in silence. Nat covered her dropped jaw with a delicate right hand. My aspect flushed through me as the memory of the way Graves smelled awoke my senses, especially the desire in the back of my throat, and others areas of my body. It won't be much longer. _I hope._

I fell asleep with the letters strewn all over my bed. I read them again and again, trying to decipher what Graves meant by being trained for "something big". If Graves still wanted to be with me, what do I want? What is my relationship with Christophe? Is he better suited for me than Graves because he is certain about what he wants? There are advantages about being with someone that has a lot of life experiences. _I'll bet._

I awoke to a loud banging on my door, accompanied by yelling from a familiar voice. "Dru, we need to move now!" The voice was Christophe's. I stumbled off the bed, across the room and unbolted the locks. Christophe pushed the door open immediately. He looked serious but cool as usual. "What took you so long? We have to get you someplace safe, _kochana_." The lights in the hallways were out and the emergency bulbs were flashing red. My aspect turned on and altered the darkness to a yellowish filter. _What the hell is going on?_

I almost whined like I was eight years old. "You know how I hate going to the safe room, Christophe. I can defend myself as equally as you can so there is no point in sending me down there. Let me help for Christ's sake. "

Before he had a chance to answer, Ash came galloping down the hallway in full wulf form. He skidded to a stop on the carpet and sided up to me by nudging my shoulder, letting me know that he was going to stay near. Benjamin arrived a moment later along with two guardsmen. They were both in their aspect forms and ready with Glocks in hand.

"Dru, _kochana_, please don't put up a fight with me this time. Get your _malaika_ now. I need you to go to the safe room with Benjamin. Take Ash too, and secure yourself. I think the _wampire_ have something new up their sleeves. Please do what I say, will you, _milna_?" Christophe handed me my 9 mm gun and extra cartridges, taken from the armory.

He continued with a look that meant business. I knew better than to debate with him on this. The one time that I regret not following his order is when we were still in the Dakotas and I argued with him about who was going to drive the stupid truck. We wasted valuable time and barely escaped harm. I was being foolish and stubborn. Little did I know that the _wulfen_ were on their way to kill us, sorta.

Christophe stepped in to me and softly pressed his lips to my cheek. He then whispered into my ear. "Be safe, _skowroneczko moja_. I will come down when it is clear." Then he gave Benjamin a nod, which was returned by him with intense compliance. I grabbed a handful of Ash's collar fur. "Let's go, big guy."

Christophe looked relieved and took off running toward the north exit in a blur of _djamphire_ speed. Benjamin and one of the guards led the way stopping at each corner to clear the way for me. Ash and the other guard brought up the rear. When we reached the first floor entryway, it was quiet and dark. For the first time in a while, I tasted waxen orange candy on my tongue. That was the Touch's way of telling me that something wicked was about to happen. Ash made a low growling sound that reverberated in my body.

I looked up at the ceiling and saw a flash of white circling above us in the glass dome. It had a familiar sound to me, feathers, wind and flapping. It was my owl. I nudged Benjamin to signal looking up. He glanced toward the ceiling and knew that I was telling him we should follow the bird. He learned from history that my owl aspect was my savior in times of trouble and should be trusted when it appeared to me.

As the owl started flying south across the room, I heard the crash of breaking glass, which came from the front entry of the s_chola_. I followed my owl without haste. As we crossed the ornate tile under the glass dome, I saw them coming through the broken places in the foyer's windows. They being the revenants, the truly undead, the zombies.

Benjamin cringed at the sight of the mass of creatures. He stopped midway, aimed and fired at the chests of the zombies that were attempting to push their way through the windows. The only way to stop those things is by disabling the hearts. Not sure why but that's how it works. There were dozens of them outside and they were making random moaning and gurgling sounds as if they were missing vocal chords.

The guards successfully killed ten of the zombies, however I could see that a mass was gathering in the circular driveway of the _Schola_. Even more were dragging, limping and shuffling across the front lawns toward our building. I unholstered my 9 mm. "Holy shit! Where the hell did they come from?"

Ash had already started tearing into the creatures with his claws through one of the windows. He was fast and fluid but there were just too many to kill by hand or paw. "Ash, Goddammit, leave them for the guards. We've got to go this way!" But Ash bounded out the windows landing on two zombies, then howled so loud I had to cover my ears. "Ash, come back! Benjamin, do something, please." Benjamin was firing strategically at the zombies, trying hard not to hit the wulf as he leaped to and fro slashing bodies to pieces. He didn't hear me. The other guardsmen were firing away and reloading, barely making a dent in the hoard. I fired a few rounds and got one in the heart, crumpling to the ground. I looked up to search for my owl in the moonlit room. I didn't see it at first and then saw it flying 50 yards away in the South hallway. I yelled to my team hoping they could hear me. "We gotta go this way!"

I pursued the owl south down the hall leaving behind Ash, Benjamin and the others to go on my own. Christophe is going to be pissed at me for not following plans again but he didn't predict a zombie hoard attacking the Prima, did he?

From the distance I could still clearly hear the sounds of rounds going off, breaking glass and Ash's roars as he ripped through rotting flesh. I had to trust that they knew what they were doing and could hold their own. Dad's voice echoed in my head. _Dru, keep your ass moving forward. Don't let them slow you down. Follow your instincts and get to higher ground._

I proceeded with caution and kept my gun raised at shoulder level. It took me nearly 30 seconds to go a short distance. The sound of gunfire was dampened a bit by the carpeted hallway. As I neared the security door at the end of the hall that led into the caf, I sensed something or someone near. I couldn't tell what that something was except that it was large. I was too far down the hallway to backtrack and I didn't see my owl anymore. I was stuck for the moment and the only way out was to go forward. As I neared a door on the right, which led to an office, I picked up the smell of melting plastic. _What the hell?_

I continued gripping my gun firmly with both hands. Sweat was building in my palms and making my hold slippery. I took a deep breath and used my right elbow to push the door of the office gently open. I wanted to inspect the room to ensure that I wasn't leaving a trap behind for my friends who may be following me. As I cracked it open, I saw just what was making that foul odor.

It was over four feet tall, had four legs with claws on its feet. The fur was glassy and long. It had the blackest teeth and huge nostrils. It was sniffing the air and when it turned and saw me looking at it, the creature lit up with orange flames. It was a burning dog, a hound from Hell. _No fucking way!_ The last time I encountered this type of creature I was playing "house" with Graves in a forgotten back room at the mall in the Dakotas. The thing nearly killed me but I doused it in the fountain with sheer teenage luck. I had no idea what I was doing back then, pretty much. A lot has changed since.

It snorted at me as flames spewed from its huge nose openings. It came charging my direction across the office. I pulled the trigger softly and hit the target, however it did nothing to stop the thing. I unloaded five more rounds into the creature without slowing it down. _Oh, crap! You better run for it Dru unless you're gonna take it down with _malaika_._

I had no time to react so I pulled the door closed and started heading toward the caf as fast as my _svetocha_ legs would carry. The charging burning dog exploded through the wall and crashed into the opposite side of the hallway. It barely missed me. I pushed open the caf's doors and ran as fast as I could through the tables and onto the other side of the bank of food carts. Maybe they would slow the thing down for me to get the _malaika _out? The burning dog easily forced its way through the furniture like they were mere annoyances. I holstered my gun and unsnapped the swords just in time.

The creature kept coming after me like a raging bull. I hurled myself into the air and over the carts narrowly avoiding the thing's path. Carts were tossed onto their sides or upside down. As it neared me, I felt the intensity of the flames like they scorched my eyelashes. I tucked and rolled forward onto the floor, landing in a crouch._ Come and get me. _The creature shook its head to brush off the clang of the carts. Then it reoriented itself and searched the room for me. When it locked its soul less black eyes with mine…a vision flashed into my head. The _touch_ pulled me away. _No, not now, dammit!_

My mind took me to the place where two children were playing in a large garden. The scene was beautiful, with roses and peonies in full bloom. They had blondish-brown hair and seemed about ages four and six. The girl smiled at her little brother and looked at him with so much love. She held up a ladybug in her hands to show him how it moved. Boom! The vision was cut short as I was slammed with the force of a charging Hell Hound. My body flew backwards and crunched into a table, chairs flying to the sides. My _malaika_ were tossed in two different directions. S_hit, that hurt!_

My head was spinning and I could tell that I was singed where the fiery creature rammed into the side of my abs. My clothes were smoking and I smelled burning skin, my skin. Holy fucking shit! _You'd better recover quick Dru, because it's coming for you again. _I felt for my 9 mm on my right hip. Fortunately it was there in its holster. The creature started digging its claws into the tiled floor ready to charge me again. I unsnapped my weapon and scooted back, aiming with both hands. I hoped that my vision would not fail me. I fired five consecutive rounds. The creature screeched in pain, however that did not stop it. _I need blades, dammit. Where were my _malaika_? _The swords were scattered across the room. I could see them peering from under chairs and tables. They were too far for me to get to even with my _svetocha_ speed. The Hell Hound was fast too. _Where the hell is my backup when I need it? I could use Christophe right about now. I have no idea where he went and if he even knows I'm in the caf._

The creature dug into the floor and advanced while screeching and flaming as it came nearer. I pulled the trigger again and unloaded the remaining rounds into the hound's body and head. Nothing. As it neared, I summoned all my energy and kicked it with my right leg hoping that would deter it from attacking again. It did...for a moment. But then it was really pissed off and the things's long black fangs dug into my right thigh, while flames spewed from its nostrils. I felt excruciating pain and let out a high-pitched, _svetocha_ scream. I nearly passed out. _Oh my god,_ _I'm going to die._

The creature jerked its head back and forth, ripping thigh meat, flesh tearing away from muscle. Screaming in agony, with my fists I struck the eyes hoping to compel it to let me go. Finally, it opened its mouth and threw my limp body across the room. I rolled to a stop as I hit the east wall. I was losing blood fast and a pool of me was smeared on the tile floor. _I'm a mess._ Even with my aspect on, the wound was life threatening and no amount of healing in the next minute or so would stop the gushing of blood. The creature hit a major artery. I had no time to recover.

I pulled myself into a seated position against the wall and felt for any kind of weapon on me or close by. There was nothing but my bare hands. The hound was drooling fiery orange saliva and was moving in my direction again in a slow preying motion. _This is it. Mom, Dad, Gran... I'll see you sooner than I thought. _My vision became blurry and I was losing consciousness from the lack of blood. I started to fade out and could barely keep my head upright. My breathing was labored and I looked down at the mass of torn muscle, ligament and skin in front of me. _I'm going to puke, I think._

I heard a voice coming from the right. "Funny, I was just sayin' I could use more practice kickin' some evil ass. Why don't you mess with me instead?"

It sounded to me like…Graves. _Am I delusional?_

I went out. I came to with a sensation of being lifted and carried along. The pain in my leg was almost non-existent. However I was shaking so uncontrollably that my teeth were chattering. I had no control over my fingers and I felt like vomiting something fierce. I was in shock, a dangerous place to be - life threatening for sure. Somewhere close, somebody was breathing heavily. A familiar voice emanated from someone who was very, very close. Somebody who's lips were touching my forehead. "Hold on, baby."

**Readers: Come back on August 2nd to find out what happens next to Dru. Her injury is severe and she's going to need a blood donor. Will Graves be the one to give it to her? Where is Christophe and will he have an issue when he sees the ****loup-garou, Graves? So much is gonna happen next! Come back and find out.**


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